We also serve who only stand and wait; Prefab Sprout relics and rarities

Utrecht 1985 – the Paperwork

I just bought a little stash of paperwork relating to the 1985 Utrecht gig on Ebay (the link contains the rather wonderful VPRO radio recording of the concert).

I’m an absolute sucker for paperwork. It’s my favourite kind of ephemera. For one thing, it’s almost impossible to find, because it was mostly disposed of fairly quickly. And because it’s from behind the scenes, there’s something that feels a little secret about it, like you’re looking through files you shouldn’t be. It even smells good, sort of musty and officeish. I would happily take any other Sprout paperwork anyone else happens to have. Tons of it. I love paperwork.

Not that there’s anything intrinsically particularly significant about this cache. It’s mostly telexes about hotel reservations and the time the band was to play. But one interesting aspect is the copy contract (sent to the Dutch agency to “sign for their records”), which is included below.

Note the fee – £1250 total of which half went to the band management agency, “Wasted Talent”. In the event, possibly because of poor ticket sales, the band’s half seems to have reduced to £350, plus 1000 guilders (about £250) from VPRO for the radio recording. Not a lot, is it?